Time control system for telephones



Feb. 14, 1933. Q v RlCHEY 1,897,533

TIME CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TELEPHONES Filed Feb. 21, 1931 C.U.Rich e y Fatented Feb. 14, 1933 U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES V. mm, 01 JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TIIE CONTROL SYBTEI FOB TELEPHON'ES Application filed Pebruary 21, 1981. Serial Io. 517,888.

This invention relates to telephone sys tems, and has for its general object the provision of means for metering the duration of long distance telephone conversation, and

6 automatically terminating the transmission at the conclusion of the period for which said means is set, subject however, at the will of the operator, to be reset for another period without interruption of the conversation.

The invention is desi ed to correct a present abuse of the telep one service which results in considerable financial loss to the telephone companies. The maker of a long .distance or toll call from a public booth frequently over-talks the time period for which he has paid and either throu h intent or inadvertence, he leaves the boot without hav ing paid for the over-time conversation. Those who intentionally so defraud the telephone company have learned the trick of leaving the receiver off the hook after they have finished the over-time conversation, so that they are able to leave the vicinity of the booth before the operator succeeds in attracting the attention of the clerk, for example, in

the store in which the booth may be located.

The present invention proposes the provision of a normally closed time-controlled switch in series with the talking circuit and in circuit relation to the operators signal,

with setting means acting as an intermediary between the time switch and clock work, permitting the operator to place the setting means in a position corresponding to the beginning of a conversation period for which a caller has paid and to couple it to the clock work whereby it executes a timed return to its initial position of repose. Just before reaching its final return position, the intermediary element actuates the switch to momentarily open the talking circuit and simultaneousy fluctuate the operators signal, giving the operator the o portunity to request the deposit of anot er coin and apraising the caller that the time for which e has already paid is nearly up. If further money is deposited, the operator resets the device for a new talking period without interruptin the conversation. If no further toll is paid the operator does nothing and when the intermediary element ets back to its initial position the talking ine is permanently opened cutting-off further conversation.

Other objects of the invention will a pear as the following description of a pre erred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing in which the same characters of reference are used to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a front view of apparatus illustrating the princi les of the invention;

Figure 2 is a si e elevation of the time-controlled switch;

Figure 3 is a front view of the setting mechanism;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan of the device at the end of its operation; and

Figure 5 is a detail in perspective of the setting means.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral 1 represents a casing in which is housed a clock work 2 or its equivalent, and a shaft 3 extending therefrom and operating synchronously with said clock work. gear wheel 4 is fixed to said shaft havlng gear teeth 5 arranged on the forward face ad acent its periphery. Setting means is provided comprising a disk 3' frictionally mounted on said shaft by means of a hub 6 so as to be manually rotatable relative to said shaft. Said setting means includes an index 7 which operates in adjacency to an arcuate scale 8 suitably secured adjacent the front of said casing and close to the plane of rotation of said index. The scale is preferably divided into minute and five minute scale intervals.

The settin means while normally free from the 0100 work, may be coupled thereto by means of a pawl 9 positioned in a slot 10 in the setting means and being pivotally mounted at an intermediate point as ind1- cated at 11 so that the outer end may swing toward or away from the teeth 5 of the gear wheel 4. The pawl is preferably provided 95 with a spring 12 which makes engagement between said gear teeth.

The shaft 3 terminates within the hub 6, the outer overhanging end of which is vertically slotted as shown at 13 to provide space I strain, but kept. closed the egg 65 device for the play of an actuating element 14 which is pivotall mounted on an axis 15 extending transverse y of said hub. The actuating ele-' ment has a depression 16 flanked by shoulders 5 17 and 18 'in'which depression of the pawl 9 rests. When the actuating element is rocked'in one directionhy the handle 19, the shoulderf17 stri 'es the side of the pawl 9 and swings it intoa position in r 0 which the spring 12 engages between the gear teeth. This latches the setting means in op-.

' erative relation to the clock work. When;

ormally closed switch 20 -'s housed 0 the casing and as will be observed inFigure 2, it is in series includi the transmitter 28. Said switch is exemp ed bytwo spring contacts 22 and 23, normally biased so as to open when under i iement of i the contact 22with the ml: 3' o e setting means.-- a j Said disk is formed with two depressions 24 and 25.. The'depression 24' is sopositioned 0 with respect to the switch contact 22 that when the setting'jmeans'is approaching its final position; the. contact 22 will spring into the depression 241' and momentarily open the talking circuit, at the same "time causing the operator visual signal 26 to fluctuate. The

depression is-solocated relative to the I switch that when the ,means has as-' 'sumed its final position as s own inFigure 1 1, the spring contact 22 springsinto the depression 25 opening the switch and'p'erma nently cutting ofi further conversation. V

In orderto automaticall disconnect the setting means from the gear wheel 4 when the se means hasjattained its final position, 5 a lifting spring 27 or itsequivalent is provided on the casing 1, or on any other suitable fixed support, which spring extends beneath the e gement with c gear teeth. g

upon the par y p y m making the ca havingidepositedthe 1mt'1al amount called for,the operator flips the handle 19 so as to move the vpawl 9 into disengaged position, andthen turnsthe setting de- .vice until the index points to thenumber of minutes for which the 031116 party has.'paid.- e handle 19 to into engagement ,with'the The operator then moves swing the pawl gear wheel 4 which is continuously rotated by theclock work.

. When the setting device has moved to set cuit in operative condition. When the sethas moved to return the lower end means of with the talking circuit 21' cuit, a timing 12- and :--raises it out of the switch contact'22 falls into the depression 24, giving the momentary interruption to the conversation and the simultaneous flickering of the operators visual al. 'The operator at once calls for anot er coin. If the coin is not de osited, the index moves to its finalposition 1n which the switch contacts 22 a and 23 are broken by the falling-of the switch contact 22 into the depression 25. Q If the ad ditional coin is deposited, the operator merely flips the handle 19 so as to move the pawl to release position and restores the setting device to the beginning of another t period, re-engaging it withthe clock work w ereupon the operation previm sly described is repeated. .V a V It is to be understood that if desired a single master clock work may operate ashaft -on which a number of the switch controlling mechanisms are located, in' front of a number of telephone operators.

WhiIe'I have in the above described what I believe to be a preferred and practical form of the invention, it is to be understood that thes'pecific details as shown are merely exemplary and not to be considered limitative upon the scope of the invention. WhatIcIaim is: L'Duration meter V for telephone conversatlonsc'omprism ,s h in the talking cirw tting device mov- Z able relative .to said timing device from a definite initial position, said setting device includin means for connecting it with said timing evice at any position away from its initial position, for returning it to its initial position thereby, said setting device including means for maintaining said switch open when in its initial osition and closed while position,.said setting device including means for holding said switch'closed while subsubstantially in positions displaced from said stantially mpositions displaced .from said initial position and for sequentially momentarily -opening said switch near the return limitof said setting device, and permanently.

opening it at said return l1m1t.

3. Duration mete for. telephone conversations comprising a switch in a talking circuit,

y a constantly rotatingtiming device, settingmeans angularly position the switch contacts 22 and23 whlch P were open are closed, placing the talking cirdisplaceable, for setting, from a common starting and stopping point in a direction contrary to the direction of rotation of said timing means, means carried by said setting means for connecting said setting means with said rotating timin means at any displacement osition of sai set means for returnin t e latter to its starting position through t e power of said timing means, said setting means being provided with means for holding said switch closed substantially for the duration of its displacement and permitting it to open at the common starting and stopping point, and momentarily at a point slightly in advance of said starting and stopping point.

4. Duration meter for telephone conversations comprisin a switch in the talking circuit, a timing device, a setting device, movable relative to said timing device from a definite initial position, means for connecting said setting device with said timing device at any position of displacement of said setting device for effecting the return of said setting device to said initial position under power of said timing device, said connecting means including a gear movable with said timing device, and a awl carried by said setting device engagea le at will with said gear in different angular positions of said setting device, the latter device including means for holding said switch closed for substantially the duration of its displacement, and for sequentially momentarily opening said switch near the return end of said setting device and permanently opening it at said return limit.

5. Duration meter for telephone conversations comprising a switch in the talking cir cuit, a timing device, includin a continuously rotating shaft, a setting evice freely rotatable on said shaft and movable relative to said timing device from a definite initial position to a definite displacement position bearing a ratio to the duration of the conversation, means carried by said setting device and engageable at will with said timing device for eflecting the return of said setting device from its displacement position to its initial position un er power of said timin device, said means including a gear on said s aft forming part of said timing device, and a pawl on said setting device engageable with said gear, said setting device including means for maintaining said switch closed for substantially the duration of displacement of said setting device, and for sequentially momentarily opening said switch near the return limit of said setting device, and permanently opening it at said return limit.

In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES V. RICHEY. 

